Nokia to unveil new Android smartphones & tablets late in 2016

Nokia has a chance to rise from the ashes and penetrate easily into the global smartphone market with a brand that many remember for its quality and design. Image Credit: PC World

Earlier this week on Tuesday, August 16, the Nokia’s China executive Mike Wang confirmed to a local news source that the mobile giant will reveal 3 or 4 new Android devices before the end of this year.

The announcement follows months of speculation and anticipation for the return of the Finnish telecom powerhouse. The current Microsoft Mobile subsidiary will come back with its original brand name in partnership with the newly created HMD Global Oy, a local corporation conceived specifically for this task back in May 2016.

Mike Wang, president of the joint management team of Nokia China in Shanghai, further said that the move wastes no time following the expiration of the brand-restriction agreement with Microsoft later this year. Nokia will reveal the upcoming devices in the fourth quarter of the year with an estimated 2017 launch.

Nokia is coming back at full speed powered by Android

Nokia was a household name for anyone with a mobile phone back in the dawning era of smartphone technologies. Its operating system Symbian was a pioneer in mobile device platforms back in the day, competing against the likes of Palm and BlackBerry at the time.

However, soon enough the skyrocketing ascent of Android and iOS swallowed most of the competition, with few left standing against them even today. Nokia’s fate was certainly unfortunate, as its numbers plummeted and eventually ended up merging with Microsoft to produce Windows Phone-based devices under the Lumia brand.

While the latest Microsoft Lumia phones running Windows 10 Mobile have seen some success in the market and good reception from consumers, the Microsoft Mobile platform still holds a much smaller market share than Apple and Google’s platforms.

Now, Nokia has a chance to rise from the ashes and penetrate easily into the global smartphone market with a brand that many remember for its quality and design. From the hand of FIH Mobile and HMD Global, Nokia intends to make a triumphant return to the mobile device field powered by the latest Android technology.

Leaks reveal some of the reported new Nokia specs

Multiple reports from unconfirmed sources show what Nokia seems to be planning for its new fleet of devices. Although Wang confirms that the Finnish tech giant will announce 3 or 4 devices, initial reports have talked about two so far.

Android C1 from Nokia. Image Credit: PC Mag

The Nokia flagship phone prototypes were first rumored to be named C1 and P1. Many have since discarded these claims, as the leaked pictures that served as the base for the news were of a revamped Sharp Aquos P1, a phone made by another Foxconn subsidiary.

The latest rumors do not pin any names on the premium devices but do suggest some realistic-sounding specs. 5.2 and 5.5-inch QHD OLED displays respectively, a 22 MP rear camera, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset is some of the features reportedly included on the new Nokia phones.

Further allegations suggest that the new marketing team led by the returning Nokia and former Rovio executive Pekka Rantala will focus on the company’s reputation for robust builds. Moreover, the devices will run an enhanced version of the Nokia Z Launcher as UI on top of the stock Android Nougat upon launch.